Can't Resist A Woman In Distress
by im a bunny
Summary: Harry Dresden could never resist a Woman in trouble. Three short stories dealing with three different women and the troubles they bring into his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Can't Resist a Woman in Distress

* * *

This is split up into three short stories. The Ring, The Horn and The Lantern. All three are a look at Harry's (and Bobs) interactions with three common archetypes of Women in literature. Femme Fatale, Desirable Object, Sentimental Figure.**

Based on the FEW books (ok only one) I have read and the TV show.

Original story by Jim Butcher.

**The Ring **

It was a quarter past noon; I knew this because I had just gotten back to my office after having run out to grab a bite to eat. The door had opened almost right after me, odd, it was a little too early for the mail to be arriving I thought. That is until I heard the footsteps. They were soft but the sharp clack of a heel is what gave her away.

I looked up from a book I had just opened to see a tall, willowy, young woman staring down at me from the door way. She was pretty enough, but looked like she would be more comfortable on a beach in California than in my office in windy Chicago. Her skin was lightly kissed by the sun and her blonde hair almost white from the its rays. Definitely wasn't from Chicago. If that hadn't been enough to prove it what she wore was so out of season it made her stick out even more. No one in their right mind wore only a short jean skirt and tank top during March, at least not without jacket.  
She stood there next to the door for a moment longer until I realized she wanted me to be the one that spoke first.  
I sighed a little of my annoyance out not wanting to intimidate her if she was a possible client.  
"Hello," I said with false cheerfulness. "I'm Harry Dresden. Can I help you with anything?"  
She blinked as if she had not seen me before I spoke. When my greeting registered with her she walked forward and looked at the floor slightly embarrassed.  
"I'm sorry how rude of me. I guess I'm still a little rattled. I've never been to someone like you before. My name is Lillian Peters."  
Lillian never reached out to shake my hand, but I didn't mind. I was use to people forgoing pleasantries around me. Most so nervous they forgot all courtesies. What got me worried about her introduction was her name. Often I can tell when people give me a fake name because of the tone in their voice or by how they pause. Some names just sound fake. Yet Lillian wasn't lying, but somehow wasn't telling the truth either.  
I think she got nervous because she continued talking.  
"I read your add. It says you can find lost items?"  
"It is a specialty. What is it you lost?"  
"A ring. It means the world to me. My grandmother, who recently passed away, gave it to me. My sister says I miss placed it, I think she may have stolen it."  
"You and your sister don't get along?"  
"No, I was grandma's favorite. It's just like her to do this out of spite."  
"I think I can help you. It's fifty dollars an hour plus expenses."  
"Of course I brought three hundred with me today to get this started if that's alright."  
"That should be fine." I tried not to sound too eager. It had been a slow month though and rent was due. Every bit helps.  
Just then the mail came through the slot. Lillian turned around and began grabing the envelopes one by one from the floor. When she was done she turned back to me and placed them on a corner of my desk.  
"Is there anything you need me to do?" She asked as if I had been keeping her from some errand.  
"Yeah, I'll need something that was your grandmothers."  
"Ok, I can bring that in for you tomorrow. Around the same time?"  
"Sure."  
With that she hurried out of the office.

* * *

"I don't trust her Harry." Bob was shaking his head in disapproval after I was done telling him about my visit from Lillian.  
"So you think I shouldn't take the job?"  
"I never said that. Take the job, we need the money. Just don't trust her. Find the ring and nothing else."  
"What do you mean nothing else?"  
"Need I remind you of your tendency to go out with some of the women that have employed you? You did after all mention she was pretty."  
"Get back in your skull. I'm going to bed."

* * *

The next day Lillian arrived around the same time she had before. If I kept a clock it would not have surprised me to find she had returned at exactly the same time. Today she was different though. Instead of some outfit that would be more fitting in a beach environment she was wearing something more to the liking of Chicago's taste. This time she wore a pair of dark jeans with a blue t-shirt and fitted leather jacket. On her it looked awful, this outfit did not suit who she was. Also her attitude was different. Yesterday she had been shy, tongue tied trying to find the right words. Today was a complete 180. When she came in she was abrupt and a little impatient.  
"I brought something. I think it may help."  
"Ok, may I see it?"  
From her pocket she pulled a silver chain out, at the end was a multi colored pendant made from glass that flashed red when it swung one way then green.  
"The necklace was hers?"  
"No but the hair inside is."  
"Excuse me?"  
"It's hair jewelry… used for mourning…"  
"I know the custom, I'm just surprised you have. That tradition is not really practiced anymore."  
"Grandma insisted. She didn't want to be forgotten."  
"Well that should do it then. Do you mind if I hold on to it?" She clutched it to her chest as if afraid if she handed it over I'd never give it back.  
"What exactly are you going to do with it?"  
"I'll have to set up a mixture, boil the necklace with it. Then I can use it as a kind of tracker to find the lost ring."  
"Boil the necklace?"  
"Don't worry no harm will come to it, it's really more of a simmer any way."  
Again the mail came through the slot. As I was explaining to her what I would have to do, she went to go pick up the mail and brought it back to me. She looked disappointed and a little distressed. Normally I was the only one that got upset at my own bills, but she seemed to be taking my debut just as hard.  
"So anyway, I have to let everything cook for a while and tomorrow if you like I can go to your place and start looking.  
"My place? That would be fine." She placed the mail down with the necklace on top. "Um, if you don't mind can I come and pick you up? I'm no good at giving people directions."  
"That's fine." My car was in the shop anyway.

* * *

I arrived home late at night as usual. I would like to say I had something important to do, or had a date planned that had been keeping me away all night. Instead I had gone for a walk and hung around McCanilies. Truth be told I was avoiding doing the potion to find the lost ring. After today I was beginning to wonder if the money was worth working for Lillian. It was a simple job really, but something wasn't right.

As I walked into my dark apartment my foot hit something and sent it sliding across the floor. I tried turning on a light which flickered then quickly shut off. So I set out lighting enough candles so I could see. Once that was done I saw on the floor a plan cream colored envelope. The front was written in green ink in the curly elegant writing of a woman. It had my name and address, no return address and a stamp in the corner. I almost never got mail at my apartment. All mail was supposed to be forwarded to the office. Non the less here I was holding an envelope.  
"What is it?" Bob had less of a life than me to be getting so excited about some mail.  
"I don't know Bob I haven't opened it yet."  
Something heavy and circular was sitting in it. When I tore open a side the contents of the letter spilled out onto my hand. It was a ring; Made to fit the hand of a delicate woman. The band was silver with love knots on either side of a blue stone.  
"Bob I think I just found the ring."  
"Odd."  
"Very."  
I checked the envelope for any sign of a note but it appeared nothing but the ring had been mailed to me.  
"Well, your job is done. Just give it to Lillian tomorrow and take the money."  
"But why was it sent to me?"  
"Who cares, the person who sent it didn't care enough to write a note. Besides it's hers."  
"Just give it to her and be done with huh?"  
"Precisely. Why worry? Your going to worry aren't you?" He drawled as he always did when I exasperated him.  
"Only a little bit. Maybe if I tell her what happened I can get the truth out of her." I held the ring close to my face. Nothing seemed special about it. "Lillian Peters…what secret are you hiding."  
I put the ring down on a side table and went to bed.

* * *

I don't know how long I had been asleep but when I woke up it was still dark out. A pressure was building in my place making my ears ring. I shot up, sitting in my bed as the pressure from an unknown magical source grew and bore down against my chest.  
"Harry what's going on?" Apparently the magic was strong enough to get even Bob out of his skull.  
"I don't know Bob." I gasped, the pressure grew making it harder for me to breath. Just when I thought I could black out, the magic popped. I mean actually popped like a bubble landing on your skin.  
"What the hell was that?" I stood up lighting a candle I kept by my bed.  
"I mean, it wasn't meant to hurt us I guess…"  
"Harry." Bob sounded troubled. "You really need to look at this."  
I walked over to where he was standing by the sofa. I followed his gaze past the pillows and onto the floor. There, curled up as if sleeping was a naked woman.  
I jumped over the back of the sofa, worried she wasn't breathing. When I went to touch her shoulder, what should have been soft flesh against my skin turned into air.  
"She's a spirit? How'd she get in past my wards? "  
"Ask her when she wakes up…"  
"Stop staring at her."  
"I am a man. She's the one who came here without any cloths on."  
I heard a small moan at my feet. The girl spirit began to stir and facing the floor stood up so her back was turned to me. Her hair was a river of golden curls falling down her back, just above her ass. That too was nice looking. She was tall with a tone body. I caught myself staring when she began to turn around. I looked down to fake modesty. Bob on the other hand was right beside me looking straight forward.  
"I don't know who you are but you don't belong here." No response, great. I looked up quickly to avoid seeing her whole body and focused only on the face. What I saw disturbed me. It was Lillian staring right back at me. I was so surprised I let our eyes catch for a second too long. In her soul I saw fragments and pieces of a life, however it wasn't complete; Chunks where missing from it. What she saw I have no clue. She didn't even blink as I looked away.  
"Lillian, how did you get here?" I tried not to sound angry. I had noticed before when I looked at her that she was scared.  
"I don't remember." Her voice was distant and calm.  
"Who did this to you?"  
"I don't know."  
"Bob a little help?"  
"What on earth do you want me to do?"  
"Something."  
"My dear you look like the Venus de Milo coming out of the water."  
"I meant something productive."  
He sighed rolling his eyes. "Child, do you know why you are here?"  
"You called me."  
"No I did …" I had said her name and names where a powerful tool. Still I had never called a person without meaning to, let alone ripping out part of their soul. If I had done it I could get in big trouble with the counsel.

Lillian began walking around looking at the tapestries and oddities I kept all over my place. At one item, a rather old clay bowl I kept around, she lifted her hand and tried to touch it. It seemed to shock her that she had no mass. She frowned at her hand scolding her lack of touch.  
Lillian whipped around tears welling up in her eyes.  
"I don't know what happened. Everything is fuzzy, my head hurts."  
"Calm down, I can help you figure this out. You came to my office today. I'm helping you find a ring, remember?"  
"Ring? Do you have it?! Is it safe?"  
"Yes. So at least you remember the ring. Why did you send it to me though, then ask me to find it?"  
"I was hiding it…From Merideth."  
"Who's Merideth?"  
Lillian fell silent and dropped her arms to the side in defeat.  
"Don't remember? Well nothing we can do about it now I guess. If I'm going to help you I'll have to get some sleep and start in the morning."  
"Can she stay with me?" Bobs eyes shone as he ogled her bare beast.  
"No."  
"She can't stand around naked all night."  
"I have my ring." With that she flickered out.  
"Can we keep her?"  
"No! What is wrong with you? She's nineteen or something. Not to mention she shouldn't even be here. Beside you're the one who said not to trust her."  
"True, but that was before I met her. I think you may have miss read her Harry. This Lillian I'd trust with my life."  
"Yeah, me too. So what happened?"


	2. The Ring Part 2

I had wanted to just finish the whole thing for The Ring b/c I think it's better read completely but work has been leaving me no time. Since I don't want people to get bored and stop reading I figured I'd post this small section. Hopefully next time I post The Ring will be finished and we can start with the Lantern.

At the End is a small excerpt from The Lantern.

**The Ring Part 2**

My apartment was crazy, with Bob following Lillian around, she with her insistent questions, no way could I work here today.

The day started when I woke up around the ungodly hour of 4 am, judging by the sun rise, too the soft tingling sound of Lillian's laughter. I yelled at her to shut up.

"Oh, sorry Harry," her syrupy voice carried through the door. "I'll keep it down." Too late for that, I thought, I was wide awake now.

At around 7 I had been working in my lab with Bob, trying to figure out how I had called her. Without knowing how I had done it, it was going to be almost impossible to safely send her back. Lillian had stayed out of my lab most of the morning, still a little timid after I had yelled at her, but wandered down when curiosity got the better of her. She peeked her head in, golden curls falling into her eyes.

Bob saw her immediately and rushed over to her side.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us." She jumped a little at his approach.

"I have been working tirelessly trying to come up with a solution. Harry has too."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Both of you have been so kind, I just wish I could give something back."

"My dear," Bobs voice lowered, trying to sound seductive. "The mere presence of you is enough. After having only Harry to look at for so long."

"Shut up Bob." I needed him to focus. "And stop trying to seduce her. Not like you could do anything about it."

"Now that's just mean. See what did I tell you this morning? Vulgar."

"You're the one making her laugh?"

"I thought she might like some company."

Lillian ignored our arguing, her misty body drifting in and out of form as she walked through objects searching the lab. Not a large problem, it's not like she could knock over anything, but when you have to constantly divert your eyes from staring to long, making the simplest potion becomes problematic. I started working on a spell to send Lillian back when suddenly all I saw was the rosie color of her breast, causing me to lose concentration.

The room filled with this blue smoke that smelled like cabbage. I grumbled, letting out a damn it, practically choking on the stuff. Lillian looked like she had just run over a cat as she disappeared upstairs yelling a sorry behind her.

"You're such an ass Harry. Now you scared her off."

"She's the one getting in the way, messing everything up."

"It's not her fault really, you did this. Lillian's a sweet kid, if not a little scattered." Bob gave me a reproachful look and I knew I would not see him for a while as his body shimmered into a golden mist.

I sighed, Bob was right. Lillian wouldn't be down here distracting me if I hadn't called her; plus she was very endearing.

Have you ever stepped outside on a bright summer day, a caressing breeze hitting your cheek, the sky the purest blue? That was Spirit Lillian when she entered a room. She brought the sun with her.

I couldn't help comparing Spirit Lillian to Real Lillian. Real Lillian seemed tough, street smart. She had no shine. Real Lillian had reminded me of an oncoming storm. So where was the innocent, sunny, free child in my apartment hiding?

What finally got me out… I had come upstairs to investigate a noise. To my horror both Lillian and Bob where playing a game of tag around my couch. When one passed through the other, it was the others turn to be chased. Both were nude.

I need to burn my eyes…

If I wanted to help her I'd have to get out. So I hurried over to my office to escape the madness.

* * *

Reading always settled my nerves, helped me to concentrate on a matter at hand. So I pulled a tattered paper back from the pile and set out resolving my problem with Lillian.

A few hours later a rumble began to emerge from the pits of my stomach. Lunch time. Only I hadn't resolved how to send Lillian back to her body. Everything I researched said Spirit Lillian was impossible. I had hit a dead end.

Maybe a sandwich would help?

I grabbed my duster while wiping my hand down my face. Since I had no mirror I had to trust my sense of touch to tell me how haggard I was looking. From the scratch of my beard growing I'd say pretty bad. I bet I scare children while walking down the street.

The door opened as I was grabbing my wallet; I almost said 'Come back later' when I heard the sharp click of a heel. I spun around.

"Lillian?!"

"I told you I'd pick you up." She laughed the sound more of a clang. "What's wrong? You look startled."

"No, I… Bad night sleep. You? How are you?" I stammered looking her up and down half expecting to see a physical hole that would confirm last night.

"I slept great thank you. You ready? I'm parked illegally." She was fine…If she had had her soul ripped apart last night she hadn't noticed.

* * *

Lillian's place was a turn of the century Victorian. Not large but large enough by Chicago standards. Around the porch a little garden had been planted. Neatly tended to, even markers to let the owner know what was growing. Lavender, St. Johns wart and angelica, where among the few I saw as I entered. Any normal person passing would look at it and say what a quant herb garden; I on the other hand thought what a hoard of magical herbs.

"So this is where you live? Nice."

"It stayed in the family."Lillian said a hint of resentment in the back of her voice. I noted she didn't have to unlock the door. No neighborhood was that safe.

Judging by the outside I had not expected the living room to be so cluttered. Pictures hung on every surface. Small mementos of activities past thrown about and stacked on one another. Papers spilled from antique desks (Yes she had more than one), books piled knee high against the wall. Some might say it just looked lived in. Sure it did look a lot better than my place, but how could someone spend so much time on the outside and not on the inside?

Maybe it was the same way a person could come into your office one day as a shy beach going girl, then return the next a jaded leather wearing woman. Or how one person could stand in your living room, vulnerable but unafraid to look you in the eyes. While in your office put a wall up creating a distance. That person would then be a liar.

I hate lies. More trouble than they are worth.

Since Lillian had walked into my office I had been struggling with whether I should give the ring back. It was her's, but a gut feeling kept telling me something was wrong. Now that I believed her to be lying to me, I wanted to find out why.

It's one of my greatest strengths and down falls. It's why I got into the business of being something like a private eye. My rational self can never let a question go un answered; And I had a lot of them.

A flash of something unusual amongst the mess caught my eye. In the corner was a clean spot.

When Lillian's back was turned I slid as close as I could to the little black table.

In the center was the remnant of a perfect circle. At the four corners along the edges residue of water, wax and fire had scarred the top. An alter, which had been recently moved and cleaned.

What had she said the first day? She had never been around a person like me. Yet here she was with an alter and herb garden filled with anything you might need for a spell. For someone never having been around "people like me" Lillian sure did have a lot of magical bits and pieces.

Only Lillian didn't have the feel of a practitioner of magic.

Another question to through on the pile.

* * *

"Nothing?"

I swear she had asked me that question 50 times already."No." I clenched my teeth. It wasn't really a lie, the necklace she had given me wasn't setting off any alarms. I just failed to mention I had never performed the spell to activate the charm. Or that I had already found the ring. Until I found out what was going on no one was getting that ring.

Lillian began chewing at the end of her finger. As the day went by she had become increasingly nervous. Always looking at her watch or peeking out of the closed blinds. We had been to every room. Even the bathroom but nothing had turned up.

"If it's not here then where is it?" Panic edged her voice.

"It's definitely in the city. Someone has it." I had to turn away. I was a horrible liar.

"That bitch." She hissed. "I know she took it."

"Maybe we could go see your sister?" I asked hoping meeting some of her family might clear up a few things. "I could find out if she has it hidden."

"NO! It would be useless."

Lillian shifted back and forth, eyes darting to the corner of the room. She took a deep breath as her arms relaxed. When she looked back at me she shook her head not wanting to share information.

"Then I don't know if I can help you anymore."

Lillian sighed defeated. "She's in the hospital. The police found her 2 weeks ago from what they think is some kind of drug over dose. Meredith hasn't woken up."

Meredith? Spirit Lillian had said she was hiding from Meredith…

No time to finish my thought or ask any more questions. I was being pushed out the door.

"I'll drive you back to your office."

* * *

Teaser from THE LANTERN. Second story of Can't Resist a Woman in Distress

The small band behind her began to play. A deep and sultry rumble emerged from her throat than turned into words as she began a rendition of 'Dream a Little Dream' in French. I was no longer fascinated, I was in love. Listening to her breathless words, the haunting music, each song better than the last.

The set was over, the lights came up and she walked back to me, ignoring the other men who now tried to bid for her attention. I couldn't help but feel special that she had chosen me.

"You're an artist, you sing, teach, anything else I should know?"

She leaned across the table and brushed a small kiss against the corner of my lips.


End file.
